tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50461888551302108032017-02-09T04:54:03.340+00:00What Katie Threads NextKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18118124260596059149noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046188855130210803.post-17848409433619846422011-06-23T19:09:00.000+01:002011-06-23T19:09:05.110+01:00Spring has sprung and summers here-ish.<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h8Q6JG54gNU/TgNzZqlXL9I/AAAAAAAAAKA/X37z_LZA93E/s1600/IMG_4622-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="137" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h8Q6JG54gNU/TgNzZqlXL9I/AAAAAAAAAKA/X37z_LZA93E/s200/IMG_4622-1.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;">Front of Smithbrook Kilns</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div align="justify"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;">Life has been somewhat hectic, thanks to a disturbingly full schedule and therefore there is so much to catch up on. The new studio (yes a real studio not a spare bedroom) is pretty much complete after much sanding, painting and moving of boxes. How can one person acquire so much stuff and not be able to part with any of it! Decorating and moving in seemed a very idyllic concept before I had to figure out what I needed, and then hardest of all, what I wanted - What a mammoth decision, and one that seemed so final. But with lots of help the blinds are up, the furniture is painted and the place is ready to rock, although as you can see family helps with the work load but spaniels are never so eager to be of assistance.</span></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;">&nbsp;</span></span> <span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RoqcBw7hEZY/TgNzrUyUxjI/AAAAAAAAAKE/osltsA_6c4E/s1600/IMG_4789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RoqcBw7hEZY/TgNzrUyUxjI/AAAAAAAAAKE/osltsA_6c4E/s320/IMG_4789.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;">An empty studio being mentally filled</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RGYv85fA46k/TgNz_2ZLTeI/AAAAAAAAAKM/1-waF8_93sA/s1600/IMG_4924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RGYv85fA46k/TgNz_2ZLTeI/AAAAAAAAAKM/1-waF8_93sA/s320/IMG_4924.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;">New staff working hard</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;">So with running water and the paint fumes finally gone I can ready myself for the huge task of re-packaging all my kits and have space for the vast number of deliveries which are now flooding in after a few easy card payment days on the internet ordering copious amounts of threads, needles, fabric and other strange goodies (such as medical sample bottles - everything has its use!)</span></span></div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T1vuJgZv59o/TgN0beAjOZI/AAAAAAAAAKc/-anLlEnnyc0/s1600/IMG_4956+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T1vuJgZv59o/TgN0beAjOZI/AAAAAAAAAKc/-anLlEnnyc0/s320/IMG_4956+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;">Most important, tea and coffee is all set up and ready for some inspiration drinking</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div align="center"><i><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;">&nbsp;More pictures of a finished and working studio will soon b</span></span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;">e taken - when it's tidy rather than looking like the back of a scavenged garden shed.</span></span></i></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;">Most exciting is my gorgeous new stationary. Fiona and her awesome team at </span></span><a href="http://www.flourishstudios.co.uk/"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Flourish</span></span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;"> have designed me the most inspiring new logo and paperwork that is totally me and uses all their superior colour theory knowledge to make me all inspired and stitchey and stuff.</span></span></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;">I am happily home based now until the end of July as I have been away to Liverpool for an Creative Stitches show, Hexham to meet the lovely embroiderers their and inspire them into a love affair with whitework and to Birmingham for the Sewing for Pleasure show as the guest of Madeira threads to show people the wonders of their hand embroidery threads, and although I already used their stranded cotton I am a complete silk convert! I feel a new silk shading kit on the way chock-a-block full of gorgeous Madeira threads.</span></span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;">Aside from massive kit production I have flowers in the back of my mind. There is a small raised bed next to my studio, currently happily housing some rather vivacious weeds. After asking permission I am allowed by the lovely people at&nbsp;</span></span><a href="http://www.smithbrookkilns.co.uk/"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">smithbrook kilns</span></span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;"> to plant what I like there as long as I don't kill it (quite a task for me) but the soil is heavy with clay, so any suggestions on clay hardy flowers which are nice and bright would be greatly appreciated.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Verdana&quot;, sans-serif;">Happy stitching bloggettes,&nbsp;</span></span></div><br /><img src="http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww238/happyandrosie/what%20katie%20threads%20next/ddfa0c69.jpg" /></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18118124260596059149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046188855130210803.post-43417889153367053952011-02-17T21:27:00.001+00:002011-02-17T21:30:50.273+00:00Ideas and Input Please<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Exciting news!!! Soon (not quite soon enough for my excitement) I will have a beautiful new logo and a whole new brand identity for my work and business, and one that makes me smile and do a little dance everyday! This is all due to the wonderful, creative and inspiringly awesome team at Flourish! </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have a look at the work they have done for me so far and please let me know what you think - ideas welcomed. I can't wait to get it all up and rolling for you all to see!</span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KjVeOywmbrg/TV2SKhmeO_I/AAAAAAAAAJY/qwHEc2b11iI/s1600/katie-pirson-logo-design-context-one-283x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" j6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KjVeOywmbrg/TV2SKhmeO_I/AAAAAAAAAJY/qwHEc2b11iI/s320/katie-pirson-logo-design-context-one-283x400.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Click on the link below to see more of the inital ideas and Fiona's insightful information.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>﻿﻿ <br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://blog.flourishstudios.co.uk/in-the-studio-this-week-three-delicious-logo-design-concepts-for-embroidery-designer-katie-pirson/"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Flourish Initial Ideas</span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">keep stitching!</span></div><img src="http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww238/happyandrosie/what%20katie%20threads%20next/ddfa0c69.jpg" /></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18118124260596059149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046188855130210803.post-51070624693182167772011-01-09T03:53:00.147+00:002011-01-09T04:33:00.889+00:00Stitching in a New Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5YVJsyXFI/AAAAAAAAAGY/QRy1mtdp8Uo/s1600/IMG_4162.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div style="border: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5ZGAac2II/AAAAAAAAAGw/bq5r1Dg__A4/s1600/IMG_4190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5ZOwsksxI/AAAAAAAAAG0/l21AD6OWApo/s1600/IMG_4191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br /><div style="border: medium none; color: red;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Ok so I know that it has taken me far too long to get this upto date, but I do have my reason's; an evil kidney has taken hold of my body and been holding me hostage for almost 3 months now, and my poor computer is very sick and trying to get my stuff onto another has been a compete pain. And then finally, Christmas is fast approaching and my lovely boy's parents are visiting from South Africa, so tourist trips are a plenty, and I am supposed to be making Crimbly presents too! </span></div><div style="border: medium none; color: red;"><br /></div><div style="border: medium none; color: red;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So excuse's over and apologies made it is now time to bombard you with some, and I do mean just some, of the hundreds that I took at the stunning and inspirational Eden Project in Cornwall. I found the place endlessly intriguing and almost filled my camera in the day with image after image of amazing flora and fauna that made my fingers itch to stitch! So apologies for the blast of photos but I wanted to share just some of what I found:</span></div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5Yc-NUceI/AAAAAAAAAGc/MFxodUoOpzc/s1600/IMG_4165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5Yc-NUceI/AAAAAAAAAGc/MFxodUoOpzc/s400/IMG_4165.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-small;">The amazing bio-domes.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5i_euiA1I/AAAAAAAAAH8/naiWO_yEpxg/s1600/IMG_4322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="height: 378px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 299px;"><img border="0" height="400" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5i_euiA1I/AAAAAAAAAH8/naiWO_yEpxg/s400/IMG_4322.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="border: medium none;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5ia9_0FtI/AAAAAAAAAHo/3eUcS4rkW5I/s1600/IMG_4251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5ia9_0FtI/AAAAAAAAAHo/3eUcS4rkW5I/s320/IMG_4251.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-small;">Who would have thought to plant kale, spinach and the rest of your greens in such beautiful formations?</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5i4FrCDQI/AAAAAAAAAH4/sZFX4hyn4IQ/s1600/IMG_4300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5i4FrCDQI/AAAAAAAAAH4/sZFX4hyn4IQ/s320/IMG_4300.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Amazing Aloe</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5YrOWGURI/AAAAAAAAAGk/rN-x1_0VPjA/s1600/IMG_4173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5YrOWGURI/AAAAAAAAAGk/rN-x1_0VPjA/s400/IMG_4173.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr style="color: red;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5jG1MjHGI/AAAAAAAAAIA/UlqzjreO9m8/s1600/IMG_4325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5jG1MjHGI/AAAAAAAAAIA/UlqzjreO9m8/s320/IMG_4325.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;">Eggplant beauty!</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5YyP9M-1I/AAAAAAAAAGo/QwO_8WHzWHQ/s1600/IMG_4182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5YyP9M-1I/AAAAAAAAAGo/QwO_8WHzWHQ/s320/IMG_4182.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Such a lovely boy, being patient while I take far too many photo's.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>﻿﻿ <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5ZOwsksxI/AAAAAAAAAG0/l21AD6OWApo/s1600/IMG_4191.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5ZOwsksxI/AAAAAAAAAG0/l21AD6OWApo/s320/IMG_4191.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5ioqFc4SI/AAAAAAAAAHw/RXqdsHcmjRM/s320/IMG_4297.JPG" style="cursor: move; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Stunning lines and contours</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5ivYDtyiI/AAAAAAAAAH0/ZM5TYytv5oM/s1600/IMG_4299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5ZbWcu05I/AAAAAAAAAG4/o9l0PzbDC68/s1600/IMG_4194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5ZbWcu05I/AAAAAAAAAG4/o9l0PzbDC68/s320/IMG_4194.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">The most awesome statue, embedded in the surroundings</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5ZocPG__I/AAAAAAAAAG8/3llbDyg7rJ8/s1600/IMG_4196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5ZocPG__I/AAAAAAAAAG8/3llbDyg7rJ8/s320/IMG_4196.JPG" width="240" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5Zv1HAPGI/AAAAAAAAAHA/V8354cLnbNE/s1600/IMG_4203.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5Zv1HAPGI/AAAAAAAAAHA/V8354cLnbNE/s320/IMG_4203.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5Z42B_-EI/AAAAAAAAAHE/8Pk3IMlQYj8/s1600/IMG_4212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5Z42B_-EI/AAAAAAAAAHE/8Pk3IMlQYj8/s320/IMG_4212.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Playtime</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5aBOQz-rI/AAAAAAAAAHI/9LUYDwUuFAw/s1600/IMG_4219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5aBOQz-rI/AAAAAAAAAHI/9LUYDwUuFAw/s320/IMG_4219.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Gorgeous Echinacea, could do with some of that now!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5aM7yJJbI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/dxCJHYQuaks/s1600/IMG_4234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5aM7yJJbI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/dxCJHYQuaks/s320/IMG_4234.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Silk shaded corn maybe?</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5jPJCp7hI/AAAAAAAAAIE/K3302ELI5EY/s1600/IMG_4328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5jPJCp7hI/AAAAAAAAAIE/K3302ELI5EY/s320/IMG_4328.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5h-EFEF_I/AAAAAAAAAHg/dglLDLZ7lHY/s1600/IMG_4243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5h-EFEF_I/AAAAAAAAAHg/dglLDLZ7lHY/s320/IMG_4243.JPG" width="240" /></a><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5aR73ZRYI/AAAAAAAAAHU/AA2K5CB9sMM/s1600/IMG_4237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5aR73ZRYI/AAAAAAAAAHU/AA2K5CB9sMM/s320/IMG_4237.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;">Maybe more traditional for silk shading?</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5aXE5wPNI/AAAAAAAAAHY/WGtcUxt8At4/s1600/IMG_4240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5aXE5wPNI/AAAAAAAAAHY/WGtcUxt8At4/s320/IMG_4240.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5jqlfw8WI/AAAAAAAAAII/RNORdL8vsjM/s1600/IMG_4333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5jqlfw8WI/AAAAAAAAAII/RNORdL8vsjM/s320/IMG_4333.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5j5TcbSvI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/w8jLSG75148/s1600/IMG_4334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5j5TcbSvI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/w8jLSG75148/s320/IMG_4334.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5kC-koB1I/AAAAAAAAAIU/WIOcTuFBfaA/s1600/IMG_4342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5kC-koB1I/AAAAAAAAAIU/WIOcTuFBfaA/s320/IMG_4342.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;">Orange Beauty</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5kKgYyEmI/AAAAAAAAAIY/9l-9zudEV6A/s1600/IMG_4343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5kKgYyEmI/AAAAAAAAAIY/9l-9zudEV6A/s320/IMG_4343.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5kR-KbJcI/AAAAAAAAAIc/ulSXRxyPoUA/s1600/IMG_4345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5kR-KbJcI/AAAAAAAAAIc/ulSXRxyPoUA/s320/IMG_4345.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5ke51bfXI/AAAAAAAAAIk/DMaXtOMZFs0/s1600/IMG_4350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5ke51bfXI/AAAAAAAAAIk/DMaXtOMZFs0/s320/IMG_4350.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A fabric lovers favorite plant!</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5kYeqL5UI/AAAAAAAAAIg/nWvSsGnzYuE/s1600/IMG_4347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5kYeqL5UI/AAAAAAAAAIg/nWvSsGnzYuE/s1600/IMG_4347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5iK-yKI9I/AAAAAAAAAHk/0NhVxOliydY/s320/IMG_4246.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Even the floor was stunning</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5kulWoRjI/AAAAAAAAAIo/i7feTitOw0s/s1600/IMG_4384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5kulWoRjI/AAAAAAAAAIo/i7feTitOw0s/s320/IMG_4384.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5kyAZ6oFI/AAAAAAAAAIs/yyZIs4uzp6I/s1600/IMG_4385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5kyAZ6oFI/AAAAAAAAAIs/yyZIs4uzp6I/s320/IMG_4385.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5lBII6DgI/AAAAAAAAAI0/2JYe_IH3QWs/s1600/IMG_4387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5lBII6DgI/AAAAAAAAAI0/2JYe_IH3QWs/s320/IMG_4387.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Truly beautiful flowers everywhere</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5lIzKZNDI/AAAAAAAAAI4/SuV9EPHEy1k/s1600/IMG_4388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5lIzKZNDI/AAAAAAAAAI4/SuV9EPHEy1k/s320/IMG_4388.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5ih8jjrlI/AAAAAAAAAHs/mnQhsJXdTqU/s1600/IMG_4293.JPG"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5ih8jjrlI/AAAAAAAAAHs/mnQhsJXdTqU/s320/IMG_4293.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5lPjgIQXI/AAAAAAAAAI8/Gy7QE0nGrLk/s1600/IMG_4390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5lPjgIQXI/AAAAAAAAAI8/Gy7QE0nGrLk/s320/IMG_4390.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5lhvPPSSI/AAAAAAAAAJE/-P5oWUp8_yY/s1600/IMG_4408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5lhvPPSSI/AAAAAAAAAJE/-P5oWUp8_yY/s320/IMG_4408.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;">The worlds boldest Robin who posed for over 50 photo's, he was practically voguing</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;">Ok so enough of the bombardment of floral photograph's, apologies again but I found it so hard to narrow it down, I think I am definatley banned from taking my camera out in future. But seriously I cannot reccomend the place highly enough, the atmosphere is amazing, there is so much to see and do, full of things for big and small kids and the coffee is great too!</span></span><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5YVJsyXFI/AAAAAAAAAGY/QRy1mtdp8Uo/s1600/IMG_4162.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5YVJsyXFI/AAAAAAAAAGY/QRy1mtdp8Uo/s320/IMG_4162.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Even in an obscure shipwreck museum in Charlestown I managed to sniff out the buttons!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"> </span></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5YMX4jMQI/AAAAAAAAAGU/OfB4UJGxm8I/s1600/IMG_4129.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5YMX4jMQI/AAAAAAAAAGU/OfB4UJGxm8I/s320/IMG_4129.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This caused the boy much hilarlity, personally I think its a sign</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5lse464YI/AAAAAAAAAJI/KzUiz5DRjTA/s1600/IMG_4437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5lse464YI/AAAAAAAAAJI/KzUiz5DRjTA/s320/IMG_4437.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Happy Fisherman</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;">Cornwall feels so long ago now but the last part of the year has flown by so fast between teaching classes, (photo's to follow)</span></span> <span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">my latest magazine article coming out, designing new kits and of course snow and Christmas but more on these soon, well once the computer is properly mended!</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Exciting plans for the new year are afoot with a new open studio to get up and running as well as a new years set of classes and talks to be experianced. So here's to a new year and new inspiration (and a working computer soon) and lots of sewing time. And apologies again for starting this before christmas and finishing in the new year, time for more resolutions methinks!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww238/happyandrosie/what%20katie%20threads%20next/ddfa0c69.jpg" /></div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TQ5ioqFc4SI/AAAAAAAAAHw/RXqdsHcmjRM/s1600/IMG_4297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18118124260596059149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046188855130210803.post-43272794446361155782010-10-20T18:30:00.000+01:002010-10-20T18:30:12.323+01:00Cornish Ice Cream<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Greetings from Cornwall. Its a beautiful sunny October week as I finally get my summer holiday (and the weather is almost making us believe that it is August)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana;">The last few weeks have been manic as usual. Apart from the usual working, college has started back up again. That's a funny one, feeling like your 16 again as your back in college and surrounded by pimply faced teenagers but studying on a PGCE course designed for adults, so feeling like a kid and teaching adults - no wonder we need lots of tea breaks. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana;">I also taught a lovely Introduction to Embroidery class at the lovely Creative Quilting in East Molesey:</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://www.creativequilting.co.uk/">http://www.creativequilting.co.uk/</a></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TL8g7BU4LRI/AAAAAAAAAGI/DYfp7KZPpCU/s1600/IMG_4037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana;">I had a lovely group of ladies in a wonderfully relaxed setting. It is so nice to have a change of pace and teach a smaller class like this one, allowing me to spend more time with people. It was also a nice back to basics for me. I've&nbsp; been teaching so many in-depth classes on specific techniques that I've not had the chance to do a back to basics class in quite a while, and this is something I always love doing - showing people something new they can do, or add to their other favorite crafting techniques, and simply re-introduce them to the beauty of embroidery (especially after often disastrous experiances at school!) The ladies sped through the various stitches, showed us examples of things they had done at home, planned future projects for embroidering on their quilts (and even some redwork) and then finally, exhausted but, hopefully, re-invigorated, went home.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana;">This is what we stitched: (Sorry, no full computer of pictures to use when in Cornwall!)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katiepirson/4288113601/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/katiepirson/4288113601/</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana;">The end of September saw me pack up the car with all my pictures, kits and tactile goodies and head to Devon to the ICHF Exeter show. The four days were fantastic. Set up day is always a bit nerve wrecking for me, I never know when to stop preening and fiddling with everything so I usually gauge it by when the coffee stand has closed for business! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana;">I have done show's with ICHF before in Birmingham, Brighton, Liverpool and Harrogate but this was the a first at Exeter and a first in the 'Quick and Handy' demo's section. This meant that for one hour of every day I took fabric, needles, threads and designs down to the communal class area and taught a hugely diverse group to 'stitch'. Some of course were expert stitchers, some had never sewn a button on, and some thought I was there to teach them to Crochet (if only I knew how!) I was lucky to have an hour, the usual order of events is 15 minute sessions, but luckily ICHF had the foresight to see that 15 minutes may mean only a few threaded needles. The sessions were wonderfully manic to do, and always caused much giggling and gossiping - which of course just goes hand in hand with stitching.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana;">Overall the show was a success for me, I meant some wonderful people (and a few slightly crazy ones - one lady thought I was Japanese!) and have made some great contacts, including meeting my wonderful show neighbour Rachel Powell:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rachel-powell.com/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://www.rachel-powell.com/</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Her beautiful textiles&nbsp;are quite the opposite of mine and I love that. Her&nbsp;style is&nbsp;fresh&nbsp;and tactile, and she dyes&nbsp;her yarns the most beautiful colours. I&nbsp;admire the unplanned nature of some of her work - never knowing how something will work until its dyed or spun or woven. When I have a&nbsp;smidgen of free time she's promised to help my dye my own natural embroidery threads so watch&nbsp;this space and check out her work.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So here are a few pictures of the stand before the hordes appeared and surrounded it:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>﻿ <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TL8hJwCMGdI/AAAAAAAAAGM/JqenTwmgoHI/s1600/IMG_4041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TL8hJwCMGdI/AAAAAAAAAGM/JqenTwmgoHI/s320/IMG_4041.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's ME that is!</span></td></tr></tbody></table>﻿ <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TL8gOJ-jbHI/AAAAAAAAAGE/8YMEVC8A8Tw/s1600/IMG_4035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TL8gOJ-jbHI/AAAAAAAAAGE/8YMEVC8A8Tw/s320/IMG_4035.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The rouge's gallery.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TL8fbpgL1zI/AAAAAAAAAF8/aoDMDje60AA/s1600/IMG_4031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TL8fbpgL1zI/AAAAAAAAAF8/aoDMDje60AA/s320/IMG_4031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TL8fsKVWAMI/AAAAAAAAAGA/8puKNdfYfFE/s1600/IMG_4032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TL8fsKVWAMI/AAAAAAAAAGA/8puKNdfYfFE/s320/IMG_4032.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>The Tactile Table</strong> - the sign peeking from the corner reads<em> 'Please feel free to touch'</em> and always gets a few giggles and encourages people to get their hands on the fabrics.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">&nbsp;<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana;">So Exeter over, and time for holiday and relaxing time......</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana;">a hint of things to come: the Eden project and photography mania, local cider, Tintagel and Boscastle, the new holiday read which is almost finished and quilting and countryside heaven.....</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana;">(now to get ready for tomorrow - I'm off to catch me some Mackerel!)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><img src="http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww238/happyandrosie/what%20katie%20threads%20next/ddfa0c69.jpg" /></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18118124260596059149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046188855130210803.post-970299414059636032010-09-24T21:37:00.000+01:002010-09-24T21:37:29.586+01:00Long awaited, and very belated!<div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><div style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Such a long awaited post I know. I have been working away like a Hobbit in his Garden (not too sure where that analogy came from, I must need a holiday!) So what has this busy bee been up to? Well the Festival of Quilts at the NEC was a fab few hectic days, the Creative Quilting stand was heaving and lovely people and beautiful fabrics were in abundance. I even had a bit of time to run around and buy the fabrics I needed to start my log cabin quilt (and managed to get them in under budget!) The first few blocks have been worked but when I have a few more I'll take a photo for you to see - but be warned, its no traditional peaceful log cabin with a red centre.</span></span></div><div style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></div><div style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Festival of Quilts had an overwhelming exhibition of Quilts of all styles, with far to many to mention. I took far too many photos and will get around to uploading them to Flikr but have posted here some of my favorites for you all to see.&nbsp;</span></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TJ0C68SitWI/AAAAAAAAAFY/sViap6sIpe0/s1600/IMG_3893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TJ0C68SitWI/AAAAAAAAAFY/sViap6sIpe0/s320/IMG_3893.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TJ0DE_PHR8I/AAAAAAAAAFc/pNTGFKXNVOY/s1600/IMG_3898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TJ0DE_PHR8I/AAAAAAAAAFc/pNTGFKXNVOY/s320/IMG_3898.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TJ0DXNzaZII/AAAAAAAAAFg/5RIYWoMhDCE/s1600/IMG_3902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TJ0DXNzaZII/AAAAAAAAAFg/5RIYWoMhDCE/s320/IMG_3902.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TJ0D3gT0ftI/AAAAAAAAAFk/n0H_KJr9aQI/s1600/IMG_3944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TJ0D3gT0ftI/AAAAAAAAAFk/n0H_KJr9aQI/s320/IMG_3944.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TJ0EKxu58hI/AAAAAAAAAFo/f0oKikTFcCM/s1600/IMG_3933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TJ0EKxu58hI/AAAAAAAAAFo/f0oKikTFcCM/s320/IMG_3933.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000;">&nbsp;</span></span></span> <br /><div style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So, after breakdown on Sunday night, I was straight back to stitching and preparations for Stirling. A stitch, stitch and a stitch later, the sample was mounted and framed (beautifully by my lovely framer) instructions were written, kits were made, threads were measured out and suitcase's were packed and I was whisked off to the airport. (all in a bit of a whirlwind)</span></span></div><div style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Stirling Summer School was so well run I really didn't have to worry about a thing. Picked up from the airport, I was driven to the beautiful Stirling University. A huge campus based university with its own cinema and theatre, and Loch (it was all rather Hogwarts esque) the scenery was gorgeous, the students were welcoming and so hard working, and the days were fantastic (even with a nasty cold and a strange 'fire' alarm incident.)</span></span></div><div style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I don't think I have ever taught such a hard working group, working from 9 in the morning and not finishing until 9 in the evening (obviously with breaks) on fine whitework with thread counting, straight grains and net darning - they were champions! It truly was a wonderful first summer school experiance so thank you Scottish Embroiderer's Guild!</span></span></div><div style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></div><div style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here's my motley crew:</span></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TJ0HDvSL9jI/AAAAAAAAAFw/gsuuMb8Cz18/s1600/IMG_3975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TJ0HDvSL9jI/AAAAAAAAAFw/gsuuMb8Cz18/s320/IMG_3975.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><br /><br /><div style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I had a rather long journey home, being at the airport 4 hours early, and with a flight delayed I had a lot of time to waste. So I happily sat my self down in the airport lounge and knitted, and actually managed to knit about 2 feet of the giant scarf - its almost finished and i'll post a pic when its off the needles.</span></span></div><div style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">So, NEC Birmingham, then Stirling Scotland, and finally home and back to my duvet. Back to normal life and a bit of a paperwork catch up (boring but had to be done) But then last week I was off to my next wonderful location - Luton Hoo hotel and spa. A fantastic group of Australians were over on a needlework tour with the lovely Maureen of Australian Needlework Tours:</span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #990000;"><a href="http://www.needleworktours.com.au/about-us.htm">http://www.needleworktours.com.au/about-us.htm</a></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">They were over to stitch and visit stately homes and historic landmarks, and I was able to spend the day teaching them in the beautiful surroundings of Luton Hoo. Such a fun group of embroiderer's, who were amongst the best 'chat and stitchers' I'd ever met - thank you for an entertaining day working! (Maybe one day I'll go back there and spend time in the spa!)</span></span></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TJ0JVlbjNgI/AAAAAAAAAF0/1yv7pKaPh4I/s1600/IMG_3981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TJ0JVlbjNgI/AAAAAAAAAF0/1yv7pKaPh4I/s320/IMG_3981.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #990000;">&nbsp;</span></span></span><br /><div style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So one more task for September - the ICHF creative stitches show in Exeter. A fab four day show where I am currently demonstrating and teaching one hour hand embroidery classes.I have lots of photos for you and lots of lovely info but I may leave that for tomorrow (or the next day, depending on when I can get an internet signal again in the beautiful Devon countryside.)</span></span></div><div style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></div><div style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Phew, that was mammoth, thanks for sticking with it. Here's a glimpse of what I have been working on for the last two days:</span></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TJ0K3MKc3SI/AAAAAAAAAF4/OQU5h01lubY/s1600/IMG_4008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TJ0K3MKc3SI/AAAAAAAAAF4/OQU5h01lubY/s320/IMG_4008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #990000;">&nbsp; </span></span></span><br /><br /><img src="http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww238/happyandrosie/what%20katie%20threads%20next/ddfa0c69.jpg" /></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18118124260596059149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046188855130210803.post-90459140688091800582010-08-19T23:17:00.000+01:002010-08-19T23:17:27.438+01:00Mini Post<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ok, so lots has been going on, and subsequently not much has been posted latelt, oopsie's! Small amends now with this minute post, but I promise all will be righted soon. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, I am currently on a (impressively comfortable) hotel bed, in the middle of the NEC site having driven through sheets of rain and amongst the most crazy of all lorry drivers. (It actually did seem as if the drivers had all been taken over Dawn of the Dead style, or should that be Shaun on the Dead?) Having arrived, dried off and warmed up with a rather tastless cup of tea I thought I would take the opportunity to try and make my very sorry (and much beloved) laptop work for its holiday. You may be wondering why I would choose to take my aging lap top on holiday, least of all to Brum. Well its the time of year to sharpen your elbows and wear your patchwork as its the Festival of Quilts. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have never visited before but am here working this year and can't wait for my first day tomorrow. Apparently the shopping bags were over flowing today and the NEC was packed to full capacity. I can't wait to see the exhibits of quilts, hopefully the gorgeous manga inspired piece by Ferret will be here to see in all its glory. But my poor laptop will, alas, be working. After restful days while I'm selling fat quaters by the bolt load it will have to live up to its name and work all evening for me as I'm trying to finish the final details ready for my trip to Stirling next week.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As it is finished I will post a small sneak preview of the piece I will be teaching, I'm rather pleased with the way it has come out, although I would have liked to add more detail but&nbsp;it would have become too much with the class only being for 4 days. </span><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TG2tCaY638I/AAAAAAAAAFI/yRwlamLfGMA/s1600/IMG_3882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TG2tCaY638I/AAAAAAAAAFI/yRwlamLfGMA/s320/IMG_3882.JPG" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Enjoy the weather (rain means more time for stitching) and if anyone is headed for the NEC, I'm on H17 - come and show us what you've bought! I'll update soon if I survive the crazy shoppers!</span></div><br /><img src="http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww238/happyandrosie/what%20katie%20threads%20next/ddfa0c69.jpg" /></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18118124260596059149noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046188855130210803.post-75181804630157374692010-07-13T23:31:00.001+01:002010-07-13T23:32:52.410+01:00Mystery Solved<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: red;"><span style="background-color: white;">Ok, so I finally worked out that it was my stupid out of date browser which meant that I coudn't upload any photos, so with the problem rectified here are the missing photos from the previous post. And trust me I have made myself a dunces hat and sat myself in the corner for 10 minutes as punishment for my own stupidity!</span></span></div><div style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"></div><div style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: red;"><span style="background-color: white;">So, here is the fine whitework for you, all 90 odd hours worth (with lots of stressing!) and the original sketch the idea came from.</span></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TDzbeRWXY1I/AAAAAAAAAEA/GyjJZ7--OBc/s1600/IMG02671.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TDzbeRWXY1I/AAAAAAAAAEA/GyjJZ7--OBc/s320/IMG02671.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TDzdRTFEsuI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/2C6bv9GFOfw/s1600/IMG_1311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TDzdRTFEsuI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/2C6bv9GFOfw/s320/IMG_1311.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></div><div style="color: #cc0000;">I have now designed the piece for Stirling but have not yet worked out stitches or an order of work. As the piece is worked in multiple layers it takes some serious planning in a quiet room - which has not been available yet. I must get round to this soon and <i>start stitching</i>. So this is what it looks like so far - any reccomendations?</div><div style="color: red;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TDzn_AmgQHI/AAAAAAAAAEY/lbIz9msSiLk/s1600/Top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TDzn_AmgQHI/AAAAAAAAAEY/lbIz9msSiLk/s320/Top.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="color: #cc0000;">Since my last post I have also visited the lovely ladies at Dorking Embroiderers Guild. I had a wonderful morning with them and was very welcomed and shown all their beautiful embroidery's for their upcoming exhibtion at Losely House. The poor ladies had to sit through an hour of me talking about myself and my work and were gracious enough to be interested and excited, and asked lots of valid and probing questions - Its great to get out and meet people and have my brain stretched for a change so thankyou to them all for a fabulous morning!</div><div style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></div><div style="color: #cc0000;">Tomorrow for the first time in about 3 years (or more) I'm off the the hairdresser. I know that sounds apalling but I am lucky enough to have a mother who was a hairdresser and can attend to my split ends and colour needs, and will happily hack off copious amounts of hair for me when I get fed up. But I thought time was long overdue for a change, with the hope that maybe a little bit less hair will allow more oxygen to get to my brain and encourage me to stay alert and work quicker. So time to say goodbye to untidy, slightly curly, raggedy locks and hello to whatever the hairdressers feels like doing to my head - I'll let you know the fate of the hair in due course.&nbsp;</div><div style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></div><div style="color: #cc0000;">On thursday I'm off to the wonderful Oxfordshire countryside to the Art in Action event, with hundreds of artists all displaying their work and showing their processes. I can't wait! With pottery, painting, fine art, weaving, photography and of course, textiles, there will be so much to see I'll have to run around like a headless chicken to see it all. If you fancy a last minute trip yourselves have a look at it here:</div><div style="color: #990000;"><br /></div><div style="color: #990000;"><a href="http://www.artinaction.org.uk/" style="color: black;">http://www.artinaction.org.uk/</a></div><div style="color: #990000;"><br /></div><div style="color: #cc0000;">So goodbye from me (and my hair) happy stitching!</div><div style="color: #990000;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TDzovJ3ucKI/AAAAAAAAAEg/9QNjcjj7t80/s1600/IMG_2840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TDzovJ3ucKI/AAAAAAAAAEg/9QNjcjj7t80/s200/IMG_2840.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="color: #990000;"><br /></div><div style="color: #cc0000;">(Bye bye hair!)</div><div style="color: #990000;"><br /></div><img src="http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww238/happyandrosie/what%20katie%20threads%20next/ddfa0c69.jpg" /></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18118124260596059149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046188855130210803.post-35591719231114070372010-07-07T22:04:00.001+01:002010-07-07T22:04:10.389+01:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">Well, finally out of the pile of boxes and away from the mounds of precariously balanced objects that threatened to cause a fatal avalanche at any moment, Phew! So fingers crossed things will be a bit more regular and more time can be squeezed in for stitchery. (Well at least once the Hampton Court Flower show is over and it doesn't take 2 hours to get home each night!) <br /><br />So very excited, I have finally finished my first quilt top, just needs to be quilted now. I have decided to quilt it by hand for three main reasons:<br /><br />1. I'm an embroiderer and that's what I do and love<br /><br />2. Its traditional and homemade and something just for us, so it doesn't matter if its perfect.<br /><br />3. My sewing machine has died and gone to the land of broken but well loved and faithful bernina's. <br /><br />&nbsp;Ok, so not much of a decision to be made then, but do love the idea of it being hand finished and as it's just for us (Piet and I that is) any irregular stitching and discrepancies don't matter, as I keep telling myself. I'm so proud to have a quilt almost complete and its so nice having a project on the go which is just for pleasure and has less pressure involved. But, the crucial issue is: I HAVE NO SEWING MACHINE<br /><br />I can't remember the last time this happened to me, my faithful machine, a 15th birthday present, was abused through my GCSE's, A-Levels, University and a further 5 years hard service before it grew wings and flew away in a cloud of smoke. But now sewing machines are all so complex and have so many various functions I have no idea what to replace poor old Bertha with. And if you walk into a shop they just want to sell you their special offers, and more expensive machines with hundreds of feature's you'll never use so any ideas or helpful hints out there would be greatly appreciated. <br /><br />Tomorrow is my first day off in I don't want to work out how long and I'm very excited about getting to sit down and draw. I have a class I am teaching in Scotland at the end of August and the time has finally come to sit and design a piece for them. The class is four days long with all experienced stitchers so there can be a good amount of detail. The piece of mine they were intrigued by was my fine whitework. <br /><br />This took 92 hours to complete and is worked on fine linen batiste, the most beautiful fabric in the world I'm sure. With a double layer of linen behind the figure itself the white is denser and more intense here. Pulled, drawn, net darning and surface whitework embroidery is all used to balance out the various depths. I'm planning a Margaret McDonald Mackintosh inspired piece for my Scottish ladies. I find her work stunningly beautiful, with more detail crammed into every corner than most artists would put into a whole piece. Hopefully my homage to a Scottish master will please them. If anyone is in the area at the end of august there are some wonderful courses being run and I think there are still a few spaces: &nbsp;</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://branches.embroiderersguild.com/regions/regiondisplay.php?r_id=SCOTTI">Stirling Summer School</a><br /><br />Also next week I'm off to visit the wonderful ladies at Dorking Embroiderer's Guild and show them my wares and share a cup of tea and a natter. Its nice to be doing something like this on my home turf and hopefully see a few familiar faces.&nbsp;</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.list.co.uk/event/20069725-embroidery-and-me/">Dorking EG Talks &amp; Workshops</a>&nbsp;<br /><br />Now I think you have suffered enough of my ramblings for one day, enjoy the sunshine and keep stitching...<br /></span></span><br /><img src="http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww238/happyandrosie/what%20katie%20threads%20next/ddfa0c69.jpg" /></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18118124260596059149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046188855130210803.post-32946741468573215902010-05-29T15:28:00.000+01:002010-05-29T15:28:12.028+01:00Oooops<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sorry I know its been ages, have been snowed under with course work and making a sneaky 5 minute break from the crazyness that is moving house on this oh so sunny bank holiday weekend, but promise will be back soon with&nbsp;new photos and lots of exciting updates, but unfortunatley box city is calling me again!</span></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TAEkbrwHqnI/AAAAAAAAAD4/aBAuXCbPq8Q/s1600/moving-house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0aJ_fBROkpw/TAEkbrwHqnI/AAAAAAAAAD4/aBAuXCbPq8Q/s320/moving-house.jpg" /></a></div><br /><img src="http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww238/happyandrosie/what%20katie%20threads%20next/ddfa0c69.jpg" /></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18118124260596059149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046188855130210803.post-19942138464686110872010-04-26T20:19:00.000+01:002010-04-26T20:19:11.564+01:00Ok real blog time!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Ok, so maybe this has taken me longer to get round too than it should have done but I have reasons, lack of internet, holiday, away teaching. college homework..... I know excuses excuses, enough. But here goes and apologies in advance.&nbsp;</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Firstly thanks hugely to Happy for the most wonderful blog design ever - and for all her patience with the finickityness (is that even a word?) of me.</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">&nbsp;</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">I suppose I should introduce myself. I'm Katie, a very disorganised, slightly off-kilter, randomly frantic yet still lethargic embroiderer. I started stitching from a young age and am now unable to sit still, if I could stitch in the cinema I would!! After doing my BA in Costume at the London College of Fashion and some random jobs I spent three wonderful hard years at the Royal School of Needlework training in hand embroidery where my obsessive compulsive behaviour was encouraged.&nbsp;</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Since graduating I have taught for the RSN and privately, given talks, been lucky enough to do some exhibitions and even get a few commissions under my belt. So I'm self-employed, employed (by the RSN and the most wonderful Quilting shop ever) and am even a student again doing my PGCE to be a fully qualified teacher.&nbsp;</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">I'm afraid my computer knowledge is almost zero but I'll learn as I go along, with many mistakes along the way I'm sure. I'll try and keep you up-to-date with only the interesting information but apologise in advance for my ability to ramble!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">So now need to go and get packed and ready for my second quilting class tomorrow with the lovely Leslie to try and get a bit further on my quilt which looks as though a clown car exploded on! I'll figure out how to add in photos tomorrow.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">If your still here, thanks for staying till the end!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Happy Stitching&nbsp;</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww238/happyandrosie/what%20katie%20threads%20next/ddfa0c69.jpg" /></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18118124260596059149noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046188855130210803.post-26039366166281606242010-03-11T04:55:00.000+00:002010-03-11T04:55:43.805+00:00TEST POST<div style="text-align: center;">test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post test post<br /><img src="http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww238/happyandrosie/what%20katie%20threads%20next/ddfa0c69.jpg" /></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18118124260596059149noreply@blogger.com4